Pencil sharpener



April 25, 1950 Q E, QMMMER 2,505,452

PENCIL SHARPENER Filed Jan. '7, 1947 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z l Flc. i. v Fla. 2.-

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pril 25, 1950 G. E. WIMMER 2,505,452

PENCIL SHARPENER Filed Jan. '7, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 na. (a.

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" cil Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,505,452 y, .I f I PENCIL SHARPENER y y Glen E. Wimmer, Ill# 4 f `'Apililicatio'n January '7, 1947, Serial-No. 720,642

This invention relates to Sharpeners, such as pencil Sharpeners.

'An object and an advantage of my invention is the provision of a pencil sharpener of the type s where rotary sharpening elements-are provided at an acute angle to each other, and adapted in one form to rotate in opposite directions whenever a hand plunger is moved downwardly or inwardly to cut on the downward or inward stroke, and to return on the upward or outward stroke without cutting.

ln the second form, I have provided similar cutters which cut on both strokes. In each case, the plunger which is pressed downwardly is retracted by a spring.

The foregoing is accomplished by means of clutch mechanism devised by me.

In the iirst form, when I depress the plunger, a rack will turn a pinion which will operate a clutch disc of a clutch. This clutch may be of a ball or pawl or other type, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

As the clutch disc is turned by the pinion, by operation of the plunger on the downward stroke, the disc will engage the clutch housing, thereby causing the cutters to turn and sharpen the pen- .On the return stroke, the spring will retract the plunger and revolve the clutch disc in the opporsite direction to disengage the clutch housing.

In the ball type clutch, the ball will be moved to one side. to disengage the clutch, allowing `jrthe plunger to be retracted without causing the cutters to turn.

In the second form, the plunger maybe depressed by the hand, aS befOIe, C21/115mg the rack tion. This again engages the clutch housing to Y rotate the cutters in the same direction as on the downward stroke.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the following specification describing my invention and from the accompanying drawings forming a part of said specification, wherein, vmerely for thepurpose oiA illustration, several spefaoiaims. (ci. 1Z0-9er provements in ""ciicfbut non-limitative embodiments of my int vention are shown.

.In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through an embodiment of my invention actuated by a ,vertically moving plunger showing said plunger in depressed position.

lFigure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 oi Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational side view of the embodiment illustrated-in Figures 1 and 2, showing the plunger in raised position.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 in Figure 1, with a portion of the casing of the overrunning ball clutch cut away.

Figure 5 is a similar section showing an optional ratchet and pawl overrunning clutch.

Figure 6 is an elevational side View of the pencil Sharpener according to my invention, wherein the actuating plunger is replaced by a crank lever and a sector gear.

Figure 7 is an elevational side view of another embodiment of my invention actuated by a ver tically sliding plunger and equipped with two overrunning clutches operating in opposite directions, and provided with the necessary gear transmissions.` V

Figure 8 isa sectional view taken on line 8--8 in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9--9 in Figure 7.

kFigure l0 is a top plan view of an arrangement similar to Figure 6, the crank lever being replaced by a straight lever arm and the sharpener housing being provided with a rigid handle.

Figure 11 is an elevational side view of Figure l0, and

Figure 12 is an elevational side view showing a lever arm engaging a verticallyslidable rack as actuating means for the rotary Sharpeners.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and iirst to the plunger-actuated embodiment of my invention shown in Figures l to 3, which is generally designated l, the device comprises a vertically elongated casing 8 having -a substantially rectangular cross-section and a semi-cylindrical upper portion 9, in which a multiple cutter rotary pencil Sharpener unit i0 of any preferred conventional form is arranged coaxially with this upper casing portion 9.

A hollow stub shaft Il, forming a part of the unit I0, terminates in a flat cylindrical overrunning clutch housing I2.

As indicated in Figure 1 the cutter rollers or unit III, are arranged at an acute angle relatively to each other, so that a pencil (not shown) can be inserted between them through a tubular opening I5 in the front wall of the casing 8. The front ends of the rollers I4 are rotatably supported by a bridge I6, and the rear ends thereof by a bracket, from which the hollow stub shaft I I extends rearwardly.

A clutch disc II, is -rotatablyrsupported in the clutch housing fl2,.;andf.has a fsolid stub shaft I8 which is rotatably arranged in a boss I9 on the rear wall I 3 of the casing 8.

In the overrunning clutch form shown in Eigures 1 and 4 the clutch disc I1 has in yts-'cir' cumference a rectangular notch 20, in-fwhich1is positioned a clutch ball or roller 2I. An eX- panding helical spring 22, seatedlfin afsocket-23;V urges the clutch ball or roller 2| toward the smaller end of the chamber defined by the corresponding Ywall of the notch 2,0 andthe inner side of`fthe-rirri24'ofthe clutch housingl 2, y

On the solid stub shaft I8 a'pinion25` isrrigidly mounted and is located betweenVK the boss v[Si andthe-clutch housin'gIZ; QA-rack 26 on a platelike; vertically' elongated Yplunger 21 engagesV the pinion'25. The plunger "is-v slidably arranged in aguideway 28`formed'on the rear wall I3 of the casing'. V'lhe'plunger-'Z'I'has on itsv upper end a forwardly extending convex handle 29 projectingeven-the topl ofthe housing l8.

A helical-'tensionspring-jis fastened with one of its ends on a lug K3llontthelower-end of the plunger 2l, and-with its lother'end on a lus :on the top 9 ofthe casing 8. ,The spring 3G urges the plunger 2'! upwardlyinto the raised position shown in Figure 3.V Whenever the plunger `2I is pushed downwardly the clutch disc I1 is turned inthe operative running direction-thereby causing the rotary sharpening assembly IIJ lto'sharpen apencil (not shown) which is insertedbetween the cutter rollers I4. At the Sametime tension is :stored in the spring 3B. Whentheplunger is releasedthe spring 3I1 forces the plunger 2i -up- Wardly; thereby turning'the clutch ,disc I'i ininoperative direction.

Afpartition 32, havingan opening V33- accom-v modating therotary cutter unit .Ilis provided toprotect `theplunger-ZI and clutch mechanism from penil shavings, and to .dene beneath the cutter assembly VIIJa compartment '34 Yadaptedto receive a shavings receptacle 35, whichY can :be easily removed and replaced' through the open bottom 35 ofthe casing'8.y

The overrunning clutch mechanism `.deseribed. above .may be lomitted or someLotherfOlm thereof mayfbe substituted, for instance such as Athe ratchet and pawltype illustrated inFigure/, wherein the rim 24a of' the clutch housing I2a is provided with ratchet teeth, and Lthe clutch disc I'Ia has a pawl 3Ifpivoted oir-its circumference, which is urged by. a spring 38 inte' v,frrlstarit engagement with the ratchet teeth.

Figure 6 illustrates another embodiment; in which' the plunger ;21 and the guideway 2B is omitted. The plunger?! is replaced by a cranklever 21a rotatably attached on one side of the rear walliISa ofthecasing 8 a and has a handle 2811'A on its outer end. A sector `gear 26a is com nected with the crankelever Nd'andj Yengages a. spur -gear y.250i rigidly` mountellori,the solid stub shaftjla. A Ontheinner end of y.thecrankflex'fer 21a a hooklike member 40f is.providedfand is located-below, thepivot. 39.;of .the rcrank-lever. Ahelicalv spring f4 IV .isI attachedcwith fone ofk its ends to this hooklike member 40. and with the other end at 42 to the rear wall of the casing 8a.

By rotating the crank-lever 21a toward the left the sharpener unit I0 will be operated, and tension will be stored. in the spring 4I. This tension will return the lever 21a into its original position.

In this embodiment also the overrunning clutch mechanism may be omitted or any of several diierentformsthereof can be ,employed for instanceasuchf-as those illustrated in Figures LLand 5.

In the Figures 7, 8 and 9 another modication of the pencil sharpener according to my invention is illustrated, and the object of this modiiication is tof-provide a pencil sharpener of the class described adapted to sharpen a pencil not only when the actuating plunger is forced downwardly but alsa duringftheupward movement of said plunger. In general the pencil sharpener according to this'modication is constructed like the pencil sharpener described above. It has a casing Balprovidd" with-a semiscylindrical lupperportion 9a, in whicha multiple:cutter-rotary pencil" sharpener 'unit 'If'afofaany preferred' `conve'ntional form;I is V"arrangedcoaxiallyh with this upperfcasing portion "9a. vThe*cuttersf-1I4Li lof fthe pencil sharpener uniti I'Oa r I are rotatably supported 'at theirf jfront ASends by` a br-idge'l.- I'Iaf and ati their' rear ends' by labracket I'Ia. -A-verticallyiexten'd- .ing partition 32a, having-an opening 33a therein to `accommodate kthe rotary cutter unit-FI Der; iis

provided to protect the mechanism tobe' de-n scribed flaterfrom pencil shavingsiland th'evv like, and to delnebeneath `the `cutter:assembly :I Ila a compartment Mwadapted to -re'ceive ai shavings receptacle a, which rests slidablybnfthe1bottom *0f-` 4the casing 8a =and-can geasily'fbe y' removed through anv openingr i-.provided thereforin'rthe frontwallbf-,the casing.' I

Onthe bracket -I la a solid rearwardlyextending. shaft "434s -formed and is rotatably supported in arr outwardly Yextending bearingY boss- 44'. -'Ad' jacent the inner surface of tlielrear.1 wall of'the casing-wila a comparatively `'wide fpinion'l45' `is rigidly mounted on a-sleeve45a,fwhich isrotatably mounted on-'the solid-shaft 43.

" Aplatelike plungerli Yis slidablyffarranged 'inl' guideways 4'! Yformed on the inside surface of thebac'kwa-llo the-casing and has `a llongitudinally extending; 4centrally H[located slot-48 therein. one

pinion-'145i whichis positioned' in the slot Ml.

4The pinion jlimeshes with `a-gear 55k-which isA rotatably mounted on shaftpin 5I', firmly embeddedin the rear wallrrof the casinga and a v boss 5,2i formed on the Yinner surface offthiswall. i VRearwaidlyv of the partition 32athe vright hand sid'egwall ci?A the husingais--curved outwardly, forming an arcuate gear l1rinsing-*A153,*the -rear d I wall whereoffis formedyfby a lug 154i extending inwardlyT froml thejrear'pcrtion of the right vhand side Wall ofztlre casing 8a. InFth'is-lug ashort shaft' 55 isV rotatably' arranged'i -and on* the rear end orfith'is shaft'another spur =gear-56fis rigidly* k mounted-meshing with the above mentioned gear 55' 5G. On vthe forward end-of the short shaft -55 a thirdjigear l5? is rigidly'mountedmeshing-With a fourth, gear 585 rotatably mounted `-on 'the' solid shaft li3` adjacent the bracket -I 1a'.

A clutch'"diski,` locatediin'sidea"clutch drum El! isrotatably mounted onv the solidishaiftidBand securely' connected to 'theV i'ourthv gearf by pins 6I The. drum 60, is rigidly connectedto the solid shaftli by .apin 62 extending diametrically through the shaft 452v and therdrum Gil., The clutch disk 59 and the clutclrdrimiV form lipV Whereof'riseformed into a rack AQengagingith'e together an overrunning clutch, which rotates the sharpener unit Illa when the train of gearsdescribed fabov'e is. actuated by the `movement of the rack 49 in one direction, butdoes not influence the Sharpener unit, when the train of gears is. driven by the return movement of the rack49.`

Rearwardly of the first mentioned clutch disk' 59 a secondclutch disk 63 is rigidly mounted on; the sleeve 45a inside the clutch drum 60, .with

which it forms a second overrunning clutch operating in the opposite direction to the first described overrunning clutch, so that the Sharpener unit lila is actuated also by the return movement of the plunger 46, which has on its upper end a forwardly extending convex handle 64 projecting over the top of the casing 8a.

A helical tension spring 65 is fastened with its upper end onto a lug 66 on the inside of the top of the casing 8a and with its lower end to a pin 61 in the lower portion of the plunger 46. The plunger is forced downwardly by hand actuating the Sharpener unit Ia to rotate in one direction and simultaneously storing tension in the helical spring 65, which will return the plunger upwardly, when the hand is removed from the handle 64, thereby actuating the Sharpener unit.

In Figures 10 and 11 a modied pencil sharpener is illustrated having a casing 68 in which a. multiple rotary Sharpener unit (not shown) is arranged, being rigidly mounted on a shaft 69 rotatably mounted in the rear wall of the housing 68. There is a tubular entry 16 on the front wall of the casing 68 to permit a pencil (not shown) to be inserted. A pinion 1l is rigidly mounted on the shaft 69. A handle 12 is integrally formed with or firmly fastened to the left hand side of the casing 68. A sector gear 13 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 14 rotatably arranged in the rear wall of the casing 68. On the same shaft a downwardly and leftwardly extending lever arm 15 and a downwardly extending hook lever 16 are rigidly mounted. A helical tension spring 11 is attached withV one of its ends to a pin 18 on the rear wall of the casing 68 and with the other end to the hook lever 16 normally urging the hand lever 15 inthe downwardly and leftwardly inclined position. The pencil Sharpener is actuated by compressing the handle 12 and the lever arm 15 and the spring 11 will return the Sharpener into starting position.

In Figure 12 another modification of the pencil Sharpener according to my invention is illustrated. Here the casing 19 is also provided on its left side with a handle 86 and a lever arm 8l is rigidly mounted on a shaft 82, which is rotatably supported in the rear wall of the casing 19.

Inside the casing a pencil Sharpener unit is arranged and rotatably supported as described for Figures 1 and 2 and the solid shaft on the clutch disk has a pinion 83 rigidly mounted thereon, which is in mesh with a short rack 84 formed on a Slide 85 slidably mounted in guideways 86 on the inside surface of the rear wall of the casing 19. The lever arm 8l has a pin or the like extending through slot in said rear wall and engaging the slide 85, so that reciprocal pivotal movement of said lever arm is translated to up and down movement of the slide and reciprocal rotary movement of the pinion 83 and the Sharpener unit. To return the actuating lever arm 8| into its starting position shown in Figure l2 a hook lever 81 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 82 and extends downwardly therefrom. A helical tension spring 88 is fastened to the hook lever y81 and a pin 89 on the rear wall of the casing 19 andrturnsithe lever arin 8| into its s'irarting'` bearings being arranged near and below the top l of the casing and having their axes arranged horizontally, a vertical track arranged adjacent to one of said vertical sides and spaced inwardly thereof to form a narrow vertical passage, said track and passage extending substantially at right angles to the axes of the bearings, a rotary cutter unit mounted horizontally within the casing between the opposed vertical sides and near the top of the casing, the cutter unit having a tubular end shaft journaled within the bearing remote from the passage and adapted to receive the pencil, a clutch housing secured to the inner end of the rotary cutter unit, a shaft journaled within the bearing adjacent to the passage, a clutch disc secured to the last-named shaft for rotation therewith and engaging within the clutch housing, one-way clutch-engaging means operatively connecting the clutch housing and disc, a gear mounted upon the shaft carrying the clutch disc and arranged within the vertical passage, a vertical reciprocatcry rack bar disposed within the passage and having teeth engaging the gear for driving the cutter unit, the rack bar including a handle extending exteriorly of the housing and above the top of the same, and a spring arranged within the housing and connected with the rack bar and with the housing and serving to bias the rack bar upwardly.

2. A pencil Sharpener, comprising an upstanding casing having its bottom open and including spaced opposed vertical sides having aligned openings forming bearings, said bearings being arranged near and below the top of the casing and having their axes arranged horizontally, a vertical track arranged within the casing adjacent to and spaced slightly from one of said vertical sides for forming a narrow vertical passage extending throughout substantially the entire height of the casing, said track and passage extending substantially at right angles to the axes of the bearings, a rotary cutter unit mounted horizontally within the casing between the opposed vertical sides and near and below the top of the casing, the cutter unit having an outer tubular end shaft journaled within the bearing remote from the vertical passage and adapted to receive the pencil therein, an axially-narrow clutch housing secured to the inner end of the rotary cutter unit, a shaft journaled within the bearing adjacent to the vertical passage, a clutch disc secured to the last-named shaft for rotation therewith and engaging within the clutch housing, one-way clutch-engaging means operatively connecting the clutch housing and disc, a gear mounted upon the shaft carrying the disc and arranged within the vertical passage, a vertical, reciprocatory rack bar mounted within the vertical passage and engaging the track to be guided thereby, the rack bar having teeth engaging the gear for driving the cutter unit, the rack bar including a handle arranged exteriorly of the housing and above the top therof, a retractile coil spring arranged within the housing and connected with the rack bar near the bottom of the rack bar and with the top of the housing and serving to bias the rack bar upwardly, and a receptacle removably mounted within the cas- 

